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The Mumbai Verdict: A lesson in trial and error
Published on Sun, Aug 05, 2007 at 11:05, Updated on Sun, Aug 05, 2007 at 15:53 in India section
Tags: 1993 Mumbai Blasts, Verdict
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After 13 years, the TADA court in Mumbai brought the curtains down on the country’s longest criminal trial. But even as the final verdict in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case has been delivered, several big questions still remain unanswered.
On CNN-IBN’s show The Verdict, hosted by Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Mumbaikars dealt with some very crucial questions: Has justice been done in the 1993 blasts case? Has justice been done for the riot victims? Is actor Sanjay Dutt a victim or a villain?
The panelists comprised of a cross-section of Mumbaikars, including victims of the Mumbai riots and blasts - people whose family members died and people who suffered injuries.
On the panel of experts were former police commissioner of Mumbai M N Singh, social activist Teesta Setalvad, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, Defence Counsel in the 1993 blasts case and Sanjay Dutt’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde, NCP leader Jeetandra Avad and Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi.
Has justice been provided for the 1993 bomb blast victims?
A total of 123 people were named as accused in the blasts case and 100 of them were convicted. Of the convicts, 47 were charged with - among other things - being party to the conspiracy to carry out the deadly blasts on March 12, 1993 that killed 257 people and injured 713.
When M N Singh was asked if he feels a sense of vindication or that justice has been done only in parts, he said, “My job was to detect, investigate and prosecute those guilty. The result has been astounding. Professionally I feel satisfied.”
But does Satish Maneshinde feel professionally dissatisfied? Was he defending an indefensible case?
“It wasn’t an indefensible case, but the judgment has been harsh. I don’t speak only on behalf of Sanjay Dutt, but also others who have been convicted,” said Maneshinde.
He added that once the judgment is scrutinised by the Supreme Court, some of those convicted would be free.
In a conspiracy case like the blasts case, one tries to involve everyone and make it as high profile as possible. In a case like that innocent by standers may have also got caught. Sixty-year-old Zebunissa Qazi’s case (who had very little to do with the bomb blasts has also been convicted for five years) is a blaring example.
But Singh said, “All that is far from the truth. All these people were involved in the conspiracy from A to Z.”
He added that while some of the key conspirators have not been caught, unless other agencies and neighbouring countries don’t co-operate, not much can be done.
The fact is that the 1993 blasts case was a heinous act and the harshest punishment is required for all of those. But does that mean that activists like Teesta Setalvad are living in a mode of denial?
“There is no doubt about that. But the question is who are the people convicted, how long a trail takes, and why on the other side is there no public trial of the riot cases,” said Setalvad.
She also said that she fails to understand why the trail of underworld don Abu Salem and kingpin in the blasts case should be separate.
One thing that cannot be ignored is that in the course of the investigation, one single judge could not have gone through thousands and thousands of pages involving hundreds of accused, and that there could be no mistrial and no injustice at all.
But Singh refused to believe there has been any mistake in the trail. “It’s precisely for that reason that it has taken 14 long years to complete the trail,” he said.
Does that mean that justice may have been delayed but not denied? Why should we then target the police when they did a good job of prosecuting the people responsible for the blasts?
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007/08/07
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